Introduction

This report accompanies The Century Foundation’s report “Exact Title TBD: Student Debt and Race in California,” which examines how student debt puts outsized financial burdens on Black and Latino families in California, especially for graduate borrowers and parents.

Though California lawmakers rightly draw on national research on student debt and race, state-specific insights can be gleaned from national data sets. TCF’s state-level analyses here can help guide state policy that accounts for the distinct patterns of borrowing in California.

This report draws from the best sources of Califoria-specific data on student debt to explain in depth what we know (and do not know) about student debt in California. It relies primarily on four sources:

We also draw from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the American Community Survey (ACS) to lesser extents.

The structure of this data-focused report mirrors that of the policy-focused report: the charts and tables in the policy report draw from our four primary data sources in the same order that they are presented here. The first figures in both reports draw from the FSA Data Center, they are followed by figures that draw from NPSAS, and so on.

This document is more descriptive than prescriptive. Even data queries did not show striking contrasts between groups are included for full transparency, so long as they are relevant to the examination of student loan debt’s burden on California borrowers.

This report is not a static PDF: you can toggle between different versions of charts and hover over barcharts to reveal the exact statistics. The code used to produce this document and its charts and tables can be found at this GitHub repository. All data sets used in this report are publicly available, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Federal Reserve, and the U.S. Census Bureau.

If you have any questions, please email Peter Granville at granville@tcf.org.

Federal Student Aid Data Center

About the data

The FSA Data Center is a repository of data and statistics on federal student aid, including spreadsheets on student loans reported directly from the National Student Loan Data System. For this analysis we use two files from the FSA Data Center:

  • Quarterly reports on the federal student loan portfolio by borrower location, available here.
  • Quarterly reports on Direct Loan disbursements and borrowers by program at the level of the institution, available here.

For “per capita” measures of student debt and borrowing in Table 1, the population for comparison is the estimated total of all California adults aged 18 to 50. I estimate these population totals using American Community Survey data reflecting calendar year 2021, available here.

Findings

Table 1 below shows how California compares to other states in its federal student loan debt per capita, its number of borrowers per capita, and its average federal student loan balance. California ranks well in the firs two measures due to a smaller percentage of its population holding debt than in other states. However, California’s borrowers exceed other states’ borrowers in their average balance. Californians who hold federal student loan debt averaged roughly $37,000 in June 2022.

Table 1
California’s rank on average debt measures
Measure 50-state median California value California rank
Federal student loan debt per capita $10,568 $8,215 7
Federal student loan borrowers per capita 0.298 0.219 4
Average federal student loan balance $35,249 $37,426 37
Data source and notes

Source: Federal Student Aid Data Center, spreadsheet on federal student loan portfolio by borrower location, available here, accessed December 2022. Data reflects the federal student loan portfolio as of June 30, 2022.

Table 2 below shows the size of California’s outstanding federal student loan debt. California has the most outstanding federal student loan debt ($142 billion) and borrowers (3.8 million) of any state, amounting to around 9 percent of the nationwide rederal student loan portfolio.

Table 2
Size of California borrowers’ outstanding debt
Measure U.S. total California value California share
Total outstanding federal student loan debt $1,526,800,000,000 $146,100,000,000 9.6%
Total federal student loan borrowers 41,718,000 3,904,000 9.4%
Data source and notes

Source: Federal Student Aid Data Center, spreadsheet on federal student loan portfolio by borrower location, available here, accessed December 2022. Data reflects the federal student loan portfolio as of June 30, 2022.

These may come as no surprise given that California has the nation’s largest populace, but it also means that California’s lawmakers can do more to change the course of the nation’s student debt crisis than any other state’s leaders.

Table 3 below draws from the FSA Data Center’s quarterly data on disbursements. To minimize any impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on our results, we examine data from the 2018-19 award year.

Table 3
Share of loan dollars disbursed in 2018-19 by loan type, California vs. U.S.
State Subsidized Unsubsidized undergraduate Unsubsidized graduate Parent PLUS loans Grad PLUS
CA 19.0% 17.0% 31.8% 12.8% 19.4%
Rest of U.S. 22.0% 23.3% 29.6% 14.1% 11.0%
Data source and notes

Source: Federal Student Aid Data Center, spreadsheet on Direct Loan volume for Q4 2018-19, “Award year summary” tab, available here, accessed October 2022. We use the data on loan disbursements, not loan originations.

Comparing California to the rest of the U.S., we find that:

  • California’s federal student loan dollars are less concentrated in the Subsidized loan program and the Unsubsidized undergraduate loan program.
  • California’s federal student loan dollars are slightly more concentrated in the Unsubsidized graduate loan program and slightly less concentrated in the Parent PLUS loan program.
  • California’s federal student loan dollars are much more concentrated in the Grad PLUS loan program, at 19.4% versus 11.0% across the rest of the country.

A major public policy emphasis for state lawmakers, in California as anywhere, is the affordability of undergraduate programs. One sign of California’s success in that respect is the lower degree of undergraduate borrowing compared to across the rest of the country. (Of course, even small loan balances can strain a borrower’s financial life.)

By contrast, the average Grad PLUS and Parent PLUS loans in California are higher than in the rest of the U.S., as shown in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1
Data source and notes

Source: Federal Student Aid Data Center, spreadsheet on Direct Loan volume for Q4 2018-19, “Award year summary” tab, available here, accessed October 2022. We use the data on loan disbursements, not loan originations. These averages do not include students who receive no loans. Only four-year institutions are included.

Across all three institutional control categories, California exceeds the rest of the U.S. in the average Parent PLUS loan and the average Grad PLUS loan. Unlike Stafford loans, Parent PLUS and Grad PLUS are both uncapped, meaning a borrower can take out as much as they would like any year. At California nonprofit and for-profit four-years, the average Parent PLUS loan per year is north of $20,000, and the average Grad PLUS loan per year is around $30,000. In both cases, the averages are lower at public institutions.

National Postsecondary Student Aid Study

About the data

The statistics in the previous section have all been based on institution-level data. For the most robust information on the relationship between student loan borrowing and race in California, we need student-level data. In the absence of a national student-level data set, we use survey data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS).

NPSAS is the largest federal survey of U.S. college students with a primary focus on financial aid. The study has generally been conducted every four years, most recently in 2016 (NPSAS:16), with separate data sets examining undergraduate and graduate students.

NPSAS data sets have not traditionally been used for state-level analyses, although the sample size for California students can be large enough to produce reliable estimates depending on the query. This past year, a new edition of NPSAS that was designed for state-representative samples was released. Known as NPSAS-AC (Administrative Collection), it draws from student records housed by colleges and the U.S. Department of Education for a sample of 325,000 undergraduates. Representative samples for public 4-year systems are available in NPSAS-AC for 45 states, and representative samples for public 2-year systems are available for 36 states. Thirty states have representative samples for undergraduate students overall. More information on NPSAS-AC can be found here.

In this section we rely primarily on NPSAS-AC, which reflects the 2017-18 year. For analysis of graduate students, we use NPSAS:16 and filter for in-state students in California. (The in-state condition is required for this query.)

These data are accessed using the National Center on Education Statistics’ (NCES) Datalab tool. Every query has a unique table retrieval number that can be used by any user to run the query in Datalab.

Findings

The figure below compares average undergraduate borrowing by racial group at California public four-years, compared to U.S. public four-years. Across all groups, the average federal loan total is lower in California than nationwide. However, California resembles the U.S. in that Black undergraduates and their families borrow more than their peers. California differs from the U.S. in that Latino/a undergraduates in the state borrow more than white undergraduates, though this is only the case for direct loans to the students and not Parent PLUS.

Figure 2
Data source and notes

Source: NPSAS:18-AC. Table retrieval number: lounfy.

Year(s) of analysis: Reflects students enrolled in the 2017-18 academic year. Only reflects undergraduate public 4-year institutions.

Note: Insufficient sample size for Native American / Alaskan Native population. Zeros are counted in the averages, meaning it includes those who took out no loans.

Figure 3
Data source and notes

Source: NPSAS:16. Table retrieval number: psiqll. Data can be accessed at NCES Datalab.

Year(s) of analysis: Reflects students enrolled in the 2015-16 academic year. Only reflects public 4-year institutions.

Notes: Private loans are also used, but the average loans are so small that Datalab considers the estimates unreliable. Due to limitations of NPSAS:16, this only applies to in-state students.

Across all groups, graduate students in California borrow more than graduate students nationwide. Black students and those of two or more races show the highest average loans, upwards of $20,000 per year. It is striking how Black graduate students in California borrow an average that is roughly two-thirds higher than both the average for Black graduate students nationwide and the average for white graduate students in California.

Among California students, the sample is not sufficient for a breakdown by award level. For context, here is a breakdown of gaps in average loans across all graduate program levels, reflecting the national sample. This demonstrates how professional doctorates show an extreme version of the trends just described. Although professional doctoral students in California constitutes a very small subsample in NPSAS, we can explore this further using the College Scorecard later on.

Figure 4
Data source and notes

Figure 4.1
Data source and notes

The averages here include those with no cumulative federal loans. *** #### {-}

NPSAS allows us to disaggregate by ethnicity, to a limited extent, for two racial groups (Hispanic and Asian). In California, average federal loans among Filipino undergraduates are higher than other Asian groups, matching a trend seen nationwide. Among Hispanic ethnicities in California, average loans are greatest among those of Puerto Rican descent.

Figure 5: Asian ethnicities
Figure 5: Hispanic ethnicities
Data source and notes

Source: NPSAS, table retrieval number ddgpwg (U.S. all), jejvld (California in-state), tpsawz (U.S. in-state).

Note: Filtered for 4-year colleges and U.S. citizenship. Limited to in-state, undergraduate students. “Total federal loans” includes Parent PLUS. No other racial groups besides Hispanic and Asian have breakouts by ethnicity in NPSAS.

Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking

About the data

This is some information about SHED. Explain your process of variable selection: there are many but you chose the ones that seemed most relevant to the question of the financial burden of student loans. Emphasize here that the relationship between student loans and these variables may be chicken-and-egg, where we can’t say for sure what causes the other. Acknowledge the limitations of the sample size. Would it be nice to filter by institution level and control? Yes. Would it cut the sample size down very, very far? Yes. Small differences of one of two percentage points may be attributable to random noise that can raise from sampling. Remember to say that the respondents are heads of households, meaning that the population represented is that of U.S. adults. (Children are not included.) A good example of the kind of questions SHED answers that other datasets cannot: do borrowers think their education was worth it?

Findings

Here we tee up the findings.

Figure 6

Responses to “Do you currently have student loan debt or owe any money used to pay for your own education?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 7: Student loans

Responses to “Think about the money you currently owe for your own education. Is the money you owe for that education a student loan?”

Figure 7: Home equity

Responses to “Think about the money you currently owe for your own education. Is the money you owe for that education home equity?

Figure 7: Credit card debt

Responses to “Think about the money you currently owe for your own education. Is the money you owe for that education credit card debt?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 8: CA borrowers

Responses to “Thinking specifically about the money that you owe for your own education, please tell the total amount that you currently owe on these loans.”

Figure 8: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “Thinking specifically about the money that you owe for your own education, please tell the total amount that you currently owe on these loans.”

Data source and notes

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Figure 9: CA borrowers

Responses to “Approximately how much is the total monthly payment that you are required to make on the loans from your education?”

Figure 9: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “Approximately how much is the total monthly payment that you are required to make on the loans from your education?”

Data source and notes

Survey responses collected in 2020 and 2021 are not included due to the federal student loan payment pause in place that started in March 2020 and continued through all of 2021.
*** ### {-}

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Figure 10

Responses to “Are you behind on payments or in collections for one or more of the loans from your own education?”

Data source and notes

Survey responses collected in 2020 and 2021 are not included due to the federal student loan payment pause in place that started in March 2020 and continued through all of 2021.

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Figure 11: Debt for spouse’s or partner’s education

Responses to “Do you currently owe any money used to pay for your [spouse/ partner]’s education?”

Figure 11: Debt for child’s or grandchild’s education

Responses to “Do you currently owe any money used to pay for your child or grandchild’s education?”

Data source and notes

Figure 11 includes all respondents, not just those who have student debt for their own education. “Figure 11: Debt for spouse’s or partner’s education” does not include survey respondents without a spouse or partner. “Figure 11: Debt for child or grandchild’s education” does not include survey respondents without children or grandchildren. *** ### {-}

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Figure 12: CA borrowers

Responses to “What is the highest level of school you have completed or the highest degree you have received?”

Figure 12: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “What is the highest level of school you have completed or the highest degree you have received?”

Figure 12: CA non-borrowers

Responses to “What is the highest level of school you have completed or the highest degree you have received?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 13: CA borrowers

Responses to “Do you own your home?”

Figure 13: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “Do you own your home?”

Figure 13: CA non-borrowers

Responses to “Do you own your home?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 14: Student loan borrowers

Responses to “Do you currently have any outstanding unpaid credit card debt?”

Figure 14: Non-borrowers

Responses to “Do you currently have any outstanding unpaid credit card debt?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 15: CA borrowers

Responses to “In the past 12 months, how frequently have you carried an unpaid balance on one or more of your credit cards?”

Figure 15: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “In the past 12 months, how frequently have you carried an unpaid balance on one or more of your credit cards?”

Figure 15: CA non-borrowers

Responses to “In the past 12 months, how frequently have you carried an unpaid balance on one or more of your credit cards?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 16: CA borrowers

Responses to “What is the approximate total amount of your household’s savings and investments?”

Figure 16: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “What is the approximate total amount of your household’s savings and investments?”

Figure 16: CA non-borrowers

Responses to “What is the approximate total amount of your household’s savings and investments?”

Data source and notes

xxx

Figure 17: CA borrowers

Responses to “Which of the following categories best describes the total income that you received from all sources, before taxes and deductions, in the past 12 months?”

Figure 17: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “Which of the following categories best describes the total income that you received from all sources, before taxes and deductions, in the past 12 months?”

Figure 17: CA non-borrowers

Responses to “Which of the following categories best describes the total income that you received from all sources, before taxes and deductions, in the past 12 months?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 18: CA borrowers

Responses to “Overall, which one of the following best describes how well you are managing financially these days?”

Figure 18: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “Overall, which one of the following best describes how well you are managing financially these days?”

Figure 18: CA non-borrowers

Responses to “Overall, which one of the following best describes how well you are managing financially these days?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 19: CA borrowers

Responses to “Think of your parents when they were your age. Would you say you (and your family) are better, the same, or worse off financially than they were?”

Figure 19: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “Think of your parents when they were your age. Would you say you (and your family) are better, the same, or worse off financially than they were?”

Figure 19: CA non-borrowers

Responses to “Think of your parents when they were your age. Would you say you (and your family) are better, the same, or worse off financially than they were?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 20: CA borrowers

Responses to “Where do you think your credit score falls?”

Figure 20: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “Where do you think your credit score falls?”

Figure 20: Non-borrowers

Responses to “Where do you think your credit score falls?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 21: CA borrowers

Responses to “Which best describes your ability to pay all of your bills in full this month?”

Figure 21: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “Which best describes your ability to pay all of your bills in full this month?”

Figure 21: CA non-borrowers

Responses to “Which best describes your ability to pay all of your bills in full this month?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 22: Ability to pay student loan bill

Responses to “Are you expecting to be unable to pay or only make a partial payment on your student loan bill this month?”

Figure 22: Ability to pay rent or mortgage bill

Responses to “Are you expecting to be unable to pay or only make a partial payment on each of the following bills this month?”

Figure 22: Ability to pay credit card bill

Responses to

Data source and notes

Survey years 2020 and 2021 not included in “Figure 22: Ability to pay student loan bill” due to the federal student loan repayment pause. ***

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Figure 23

Responses to “Would you likely skip paying, or make only a partial payment on, your student loan bill if you had a $400 emergency expense that you had to pay?”

Data source and notes

Limited to those who have student loans. Survey years 2020 and 2021 not included. *** ### {-}

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Figure 24: CA borrowers

Responses to “How would a $400 emergency expense that you had to pay impact your ability to pay your other bills this month?”

Figure 24: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “How would a $400 emergency expense that you had to pay impact your ability to pay your other bills this month?”

Figure 24: CA non-borrowers

Responses to “How would a $400 emergency expense that you had to pay impact your ability to pay your other bills this month?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 25: CA borrowers

Responses to “If you were to apply for a credit card today, how confident are you that you would be approved?”

Figure 25: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “If you were to apply for a credit card today, how confident are you that you would be approved?”

Figure 25: CA non-borrowers

Responses to “If you were to apply for a credit card today, how confident are you that you would be approved?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 26

Responses to “In the past 12 months, have you or your spouse/partner been turned down for credit?”

Data source and notes

Add a lot of caveats before this next section.

Figure 27: Social Security

Responses to “In the past 12 months, have you [and/or your spouse/ parnter] received Social Security (including old age and DI)?”

Figure 27: Cash assistance

Responses to “In the past 12 months, have you [and/or your spouse/ parnter] received Supplemental Security Income (SSI), TANF, or cash assistance from a welfare program?”

Figure 27: EITC

Responses to “In the past 12 months, have you [and/or your spouse/ parnter] received the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)?”

Figure 27: SNAP

Responses to “In the past 12 months, have you [and/or your spouse/ parnter] received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps)?”

Figure 27: Housing assistance

Responses to “In the past 12 months, have you [and/or your spouse/ parnter] received housing assistance from a government program?”

Figure 27: FRPL

Responses to “In the past 12 months, have you [and/or your spouse/ parnter] received free or reduced price school lunches?”

Data source and notes

It’s weird that the “Cover expenses with savings” bars are lower than the “Cover expenses by any means” bars.

Figure 28: Cover expenses with savings

Responses to “Have you set aside emergency or rainy day funds that would cover your expenses for 3 months in case of sickness, job loss, economic downturn, or other emergencies?”

Figure 28: Cover expenses by any means

Responses to “If you were to lose your main source of income (for example, job or government benefits), could you cover your expenses for 3 months by borrowing money, using savings, or selling assets?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 29: Pay $400 with credit card (no interest)

Responses to “Suppose that you have an emergency expense that costs $400. Based on your current financial situation, how would you pay for this expense? [Put it on my credit card and pay it off in full at the next statement]”

Figure 29: Pay $400 with credit card (with interest)

Responses to “Suppose that you have an emergency expense that costs $400. Based on your current financial situation, how would you pay for this expense? [Put it on my credit card and pay it off over time]”

Figure 29: Pay $400 with cash or savings

Responses to “Suppose that you have an emergency expense that costs $400. Based on your current financial situation, how would you pay for this expense? [With the money currently in my checking/savings account or with cash]”

Figure 29: Pay $400 with a bank loan

Responses to “Suppose that you have an emergency expense that costs $400. Based on your current financial situation, how would you pay for this expense? [Using money from a bank loan or line of credit]”

Figure 29: Pay $400 by borrowing from a friend

Responses to “Suppose that you have an emergency expense that costs $400. Based on your current financial situation, how would you pay for this expense? [By borrowing from a friend or family member]”

Figure 29: Pay $400 with a payday loan

Responses to “Suppose that you have an emergency expense that costs $400. Based on your current financial situation, how would you pay for this expense? [Using a payday loan, deposit advance, or overdraft]”

Figure 29: Pay $400 by selling something

Responses to “Suppose that you have an emergency expense that costs $400. Based on your current financial situation, how would you pay for this expense? [By selling something]”

Figure 29: Unable to pay $400

Responses to “Suppose that you have an emergency expense that costs $400. Based on your current financial situation, how would you pay for this expense? [I wouldn’t be able to pay for the expense right now]”

Data source and notes

Responses are not exclusive to each other. For an example, a respondent could say that they would sell belongings and use a payday loan. Because of this, groups’ bars cannot be stacked on top of each other in one chart and are instead presented here in a series of charts. *** ### {-}

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Figure 30: CA borrowers

Responses to “Overall, how would you say the lifetime financial benefits of your [current/most recent] educational program compare to its financial costs?”

Figure 30: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Responses to “Overall, how would you say the lifetime financial benefits of your [current/most recent] educational program compare to its financial costs?”

Figure 30: CA non-borrowers

Responses to “Overall, how would you say the lifetime financial benefits of your [current/most recent] educational program compare to its financial costs?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 31: Different field

Responses to “If you could go back and make your education decisions again, would you have chosen a different field of study?”

Figure 31: Different school

Responses to “If you could go back and make your education decisions again, would you have attended a different school?”

Figure 31: Less education

Responses to “If you could go back and make your education decisions again, would have not attended college or completed less education?”

Figure 31: More education

Responses to “If you could go back and make your education decisions again, would you have completed more education?”

Data source and notes

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Figure 32: Gender

Share who are male:

Data source and notes

The gender variable, as collected and reported by SHED, only has “male” and “female” values. *** ### {-}

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Figure 33: CA borrowers

Level of higher education institution

Figure 33: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Level of higher education institution

Figure 33: CA non-borrowers

Level of higher education institution

Data source and notes

Only includes those who had college experience.

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Figure 34: CA borrowers

Control of higher education institution

Figure 34: Rest of U.S. borrowers

Control of higher education institution

Figure 34: CA non-borrowers

Control of higher education institution

Data source and notes

Only includes those who had college experience.

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College Scorecard

About the data

xxxx

Findings

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Table 4: Stafford debt

Top 100 California institutions by average outstanding Stafford balance
Institution name Control of institution Total outstanding Stafford loan debt Total Stafford loan borrowers Average outstanding Stafford debt
Life Chiropractic College West Non-profit $463,530,000 3,560 $130,200
Western University of Health Sciences Non-profit $1,465,447,000 12,240 $119,700
The Wright Institute Non-profit $149,248,000 1,310 $114,300
Southern California University of Health Sciences Non-profit $527,940,000 4,770 $110,700
Touro University California Non-profit $830,509,000 8,410 $98,800
Palo Alto University Non-profit $259,552,000 2,660 $97,500
Marshall B Ketchum University Non-profit $170,318,000 1,750 $97,200
Five Branches University For-profit $82,985,000 920 $90,600
Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Non-profit $57,925,000 690 $83,800
Fielding Graduate University Non-profit $317,320,000 3,870 $81,900
Alliant International University-San Diego For-profit $1,208,153,000 14,800 $81,600
University of California-San Francisco Public $471,915,000 6,720 $70,200
Loma Linda University Non-profit $1,135,047,000 16,360 $69,400
Sofia University For-profit $89,498,000 1,330 $67,500
John F. Kennedy University Non-profit $405,147,000 6,010 $67,400
Pacifica Graduate Institute For-profit $205,005,000 3,060 $67,000
California Institute of Integral Studies Non-profit $367,350,000 5,590 $65,700
Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine For-profit $62,447,000 970 $64,300
California Western School of Law Non-profit $351,054,000 5,490 $63,900
Saybrook University Non-profit $155,795,000 2,460 $63,300
Pacific College of Health and Science For-profit $380,438,000 6,140 $61,900
Claremont Graduate University Non-profit $377,122,000 6,160 $61,200
Thomas Jefferson School of Law Non-profit $319,679,000 5,350 $59,700
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles Non-profit $1,413,054,000 23,910 $59,100
San Joaquin College of Law Non-profit $68,170,000 1,200 $57,000
Fuller Theological Seminary Non-profit $304,041,000 5,360 $56,700
Southwestern Law School Non-profit $338,985,000 6,040 $56,100
American Film Institute Conservatory Non-profit $71,632,000 1,290 $55,700
Samuel Merritt University Non-profit $411,515,000 7,650 $53,800
South Baylo University Non-profit $61,510,000 1,150 $53,300
Pacific School of Religion Non-profit $33,728,000 660 $51,300
Claremont School of Theology Non-profit $41,610,000 840 $49,500
University of California-Hastings College of Law Public $247,993,000 5,050 $49,100
Southern California Institute of Architecture Non-profit $73,517,000 1,520 $48,500
Golden Gate University-San Francisco Non-profit $445,812,000 9,770 $45,600
University of Southern California Non-profit $4,153,059,000 91,130 $45,600
Pacific Oaks College Non-profit $279,540,000 6,140 $45,600
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences For-profit $412,448,000 9,140 $45,100
University of the Pacific Non-profit $1,013,043,000 22,480 $45,100
Keck Graduate Institute Non-profit $50,782,000 1,150 $44,000
The Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law at Ventura Non-profit $23,362,000 530 $43,700
Newschool of Architecture and Design For-profit $83,410,000 2,060 $40,500
Pepperdine University Non-profit $1,147,364,000 28,360 $40,500
University of West Los Angeles For-profit $60,243,000 1,530 $39,500
Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science Non-profit $132,003,000 3,510 $37,600
University of La Verne Non-profit $1,166,422,000 31,700 $36,800
American Jewish University Non-profit $23,910,000 660 $36,400
Humphreys University-Stockton and Modesto Campuses Non-profit $182,055,000 5,020 $36,300
California Institute of the Arts Non-profit $203,315,000 5,650 $36,000
Notre Dame de Namur University Non-profit $205,288,000 5,950 $34,500
Art Center College of Design Non-profit $186,835,000 5,730 $32,600
Azusa Pacific University Non-profit $1,293,070,000 40,440 $32,000
Holy Names University Non-profit $154,485,000 4,950 $31,200
National University Non-profit $2,601,824,000 83,380 $31,200
Brandman University Non-profit $780,452,000 25,160 $31,000
San Francisco Conservatory of Music Non-profit $39,854,000 1,300 $30,700
Whittier College Non-profit $303,707,000 9,890 $30,700
California Baptist University Non-profit $1,004,644,000 32,730 $30,700
Loyola Marymount University Non-profit $771,231,000 25,180 $30,600
Woodbury University Non-profit $174,003,000 5,750 $30,300
University of San Francisco Non-profit $919,186,000 30,690 $30,000
San Francisco Art Institute Non-profit $88,233,000 2,950 $29,900
Academy of Art University For-profit $1,428,742,000 48,010 $29,800
Chapman University Non-profit $992,096,000 33,560 $29,600
University of San Diego Non-profit $678,870,000 23,170 $29,300
California College of the Arts Non-profit $155,492,000 5,430 $28,600
Mills College Non-profit $175,686,000 6,380 $27,600
Touro University Worldwide Non-profit $100,452,000 3,650 $27,500
Santa Clara University Non-profit $371,665,000 13,510 $27,500
Northcentral University Non-profit $1,060,572,000 38,650 $27,400
University of Redlands Non-profit $537,993,000 19,680 $27,300
Dominican University of California Non-profit $178,589,000 6,570 $27,200
Design Institute of San Diego For-profit $31,830,000 1,180 $27,100
Point Loma Nazarene University Non-profit $367,303,000 13,580 $27,100
American University of Health Sciences For-profit $31,615,000 1,180 $26,900
Mount Saint Mary’s University Non-profit $372,344,000 13,970 $26,700
South Coast College For-profit $62,386,000 2,390 $26,100
California Lutheran University Non-profit $326,493,000 12,610 $25,900
SAE Expression College For-profit $75,153,000 2,930 $25,600
Saint Mary’s College of California Non-profit $312,148,000 12,240 $25,500
Fresno Pacific University Non-profit $385,775,000 15,160 $25,400
Hope International University Non-profit $149,024,000 5,860 $25,400
United States University For-profit $45,205,000 1,830 $24,700
Stanford University Non-profit $230,561,000 9,440 $24,400
Concordia University-Irvine Non-profit $353,980,000 14,520 $24,400
West Coast University-Los Angeles For-profit $790,941,000 32,500 $24,300
University of California-Los Angeles Public $1,881,849,000 77,490 $24,300
La Sierra University Non-profit $230,739,000 9,750 $23,700
Biola University Non-profit $337,316,000 14,300 $23,600
California State University-San Bernardino Public $1,175,920,000 49,960 $23,500
California College San Diego Non-profit $163,911,000 7,000 $23,400
Otis College of Art and Design Non-profit $92,190,000 3,960 $23,300
Epic Bible College Non-profit $18,449,000 800 $22,900
Ashford University For-profit $7,290,839,000 335,960 $21,700
Laguna College of Art and Design Non-profit $37,397,000 1,740 $21,400
New York Film Academy For-profit $59,199,000 2,780 $21,300
Vanguard University of Southern California Non-profit $192,866,000 9,260 $20,800
Cogswell University of Silicon Valley For-profit $36,808,000 1,770 $20,800
Simpson University Non-profit $112,695,000 5,460 $20,600
San Francisco State University Public $1,454,911,000 71,430 $20,400

Table 4: Parent PLUS debt

Top 100 California institutions by average outstanding Parent PLUS balance
Institution name Control of institution Total outstanding Parent PLUS loan debt Total Parent PLUS loan borrowers Average outstanding Parent PLUS debt
Art Center College of Design Non-profit $53,590,000 720 $74,400
California Institute of the Arts Non-profit $41,449,000 610 $67,700
Santa Clara University Non-profit $82,133,000 1,220 $67,100
Loyola Marymount University Non-profit $203,642,000 3,130 $65,100
University of San Diego Non-profit $221,883,000 3,460 $64,200
University of Southern California Non-profit $379,764,000 6,240 $60,800
Pepperdine University Non-profit $131,540,000 2,240 $58,700
Saint Mary’s College of California Non-profit $98,391,000 1,700 $57,900
New York Film Academy For-profit $47,706,000 840 $56,500
University of the Pacific Non-profit $144,678,000 2,720 $53,200
West Coast University-Los Angeles For-profit $245,286,000 4,620 $53,000
Dominican University of California Non-profit $50,737,000 970 $52,500
University of San Francisco Non-profit $143,504,000 2,780 $51,600
Stanford University Non-profit $31,279,000 610 $51,600
Otis College of Art and Design Non-profit $46,878,000 930 $50,500
Academy of Art University For-profit $296,076,000 6,070 $48,800
Biola University Non-profit $105,992,000 2,210 $48,000
Westmont College Non-profit $30,654,000 650 $47,200
Point Loma Nazarene University Non-profit $72,811,000 1,570 $46,500
Chapman University Non-profit $188,988,000 4,200 $45,000
California Baptist University Non-profit $159,155,000 3,730 $42,700
Concordia University-Irvine Non-profit $40,052,000 950 $42,200
University of Redlands Non-profit $56,611,000 1,350 $42,000
Notre Dame de Namur University Non-profit $29,284,000 730 $40,000
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Los Angeles For-profit $308,508,000 7,800 $39,600
Columbia College Hollywood Non-profit $34,603,000 890 $39,000
SAE Expression College For-profit $20,088,000 520 $38,900
Woodbury University Non-profit $40,134,000 1,050 $38,400
Whittier College Non-profit $42,411,000 1,120 $38,000
California Lutheran University Non-profit $80,701,000 2,150 $37,500
Menlo College Non-profit $19,582,000 520 $37,300
Musicians Institute For-profit $52,900,000 1,440 $36,600
University of California-Los Angeles Public $278,616,000 7,760 $35,900
University of California-Berkeley Public $195,622,000 5,480 $35,700
University of La Verne Non-profit $80,979,000 2,320 $34,900
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Public $244,954,000 7,090 $34,500
Cogswell University of Silicon Valley For-profit $17,997,000 530 $34,200
Azusa Pacific University Non-profit $123,693,000 3,770 $32,800
Vanguard University of Southern California Non-profit $37,573,000 1,160 $32,400
California College of the Arts Non-profit $25,175,000 780 $32,400
University of California-Santa Cruz Public $184,818,000 5,850 $31,600
Holy Names University Non-profit $15,747,000 500 $31,400
University of California-Santa Barbara Public $227,754,000 7,330 $31,100
Marymount California University Non-profit $19,453,000 650 $29,900
San Diego State University Public $218,029,000 7,300 $29,900
University of California-Davis Public $194,059,000 6,510 $29,800
University of California-San Diego Public $139,333,000 4,820 $28,900
California State University Maritime Academy Public $15,874,000 550 $28,900
La Sierra University Non-profit $41,450,000 1,450 $28,600
Los Angeles Film School For-profit $84,763,000 2,960 $28,600
University of California-Irvine Public $257,729,000 9,150 $28,200
Pacific Union College Non-profit $17,328,000 620 $28,100
Mount Saint Mary’s University Non-profit $58,970,000 2,170 $27,200
William Jessup University Non-profit $13,684,000 510 $26,600
Sonoma State University Public $79,101,000 3,090 $25,600
California State University-Channel Islands Public $40,159,000 1,590 $25,300
San Francisco State University Public $184,370,000 7,410 $24,900
University of California-Merced Public $52,433,000 2,150 $24,400
University of California-Riverside Public $169,814,000 7,070 $24,000
California State University-Fullerton Public $38,985,000 1,740 $22,400
Humboldt State University Public $26,413,000 1,200 $22,000
California State University-San Marcos Public $22,995,000 1,060 $21,800
California State University-East Bay Public $35,018,000 1,610 $21,800
San Jose State University Public $97,666,000 4,490 $21,800
California State University-Chico Public $34,291,000 1,610 $21,300
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Public $31,240,000 1,490 $21,000
California State University-Sacramento Public $105,493,000 5,170 $20,400
California State University-Long Beach Public $27,057,000 1,390 $19,400
California State University-Fresno Public $14,199,000 730 $19,400
California State University-Monterey Bay Public $19,784,000 1,070 $18,500
Fresno Pacific University Non-profit $10,648,000 580 $18,500
Santa Barbara City College Public $10,572,000 580 $18,200
California State University-San Bernardino Public $29,975,000 1,760 $17,100
Make-up Designory For-profit $15,843,000 940 $16,900
Stanbridge University For-profit $9,707,000 580 $16,700
California State University-Northridge Public $18,332,000 1,130 $16,200
California State University-Stanislaus Public $13,587,000 930 $14,600
West Coast Ultrasound Institute For-profit $9,333,000 670 $13,900
Unitek College For-profit $18,834,000 1,400 $13,500
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts For-profit $9,979,000 740 $13,500
Ashford University For-profit $16,160,000 1,220 $13,200
Spartan College of Aeronautics & Technology For-profit $8,735,000 670 $13,000
California State University-Dominguez Hills Public $7,780,000 600 $12,900
American Career College-Ontario For-profit $15,631,000 1,400 $11,100
University of Antelope Valley For-profit $7,240,000 680 $10,700
Platt College-Los Angeles For-profit $12,956,000 1,250 $10,300
Concorde Career College-Garden Grove For-profit $8,452,000 820 $10,300
Concorde Career College-North Hollywood For-profit $9,769,000 980 $10,000
American Career College-Los Angeles For-profit $30,709,000 3,220 $9,500
Glendale Career College For-profit $6,240,000 670 $9,300
Concorde Career College-San Diego For-profit $6,102,000 670 $9,100
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia For-profit $58,630,000 6,470 $9,100
Career Care Institute For-profit $4,574,000 520 $8,900
Concorde Career College-San Bernardino For-profit $8,042,000 910 $8,900
Carrington College-Sacramento For-profit $25,291,000 2,870 $8,800
Summit College For-profit $7,711,000 1,010 $7,700
UEI College-Fresno For-profit $9,019,000 1,190 $7,600
North-West College-Pomona For-profit $8,193,000 1,100 $7,400
UEI College-Gardena For-profit $10,958,000 1,490 $7,400
Institute of Technology For-profit $8,304,000 1,190 $7,000

Table 4: Grad PLUS debt

Top California institutions by average outstanding Grad PLUS balance
Institution name Control of institution Total outstanding Grad PLUS loan debt Total Grad PLUS loan borrowers Average outstanding Grad PLUS debt
Southwestern Law School Non-profit $466,086,000 3,520 $132,500
Palo Alto University Non-profit $188,296,000 1,420 $132,400
Thomas Jefferson School of Law Non-profit $386,041,000 2,940 $131,500
Whittier College Non-profit $192,420,000 1,540 $125,400
American Film Institute Conservatory Non-profit $78,440,000 680 $115,700
University of the Pacific Non-profit $722,725,000 6,440 $112,300
Five Branches University For-profit $58,339,000 530 $110,700
Saybrook University Non-profit $152,165,000 1,380 $110,200
Touro University California Non-profit $647,324,000 5,880 $110,200
Western University of Health Sciences Non-profit $912,829,000 8,440 $108,100
California Western School of Law Non-profit $317,943,000 3,010 $105,700
Sofia University For-profit $52,479,000 520 $101,300
Golden Gate University-San Francisco Non-profit $207,740,000 2,220 $93,800
Keck Graduate Institute Non-profit $76,608,000 840 $91,400
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles Non-profit $811,043,000 8,890 $91,200
Santa Clara University Non-profit $246,523,000 2,720 $90,800
Claremont Graduate University Non-profit $229,647,000 2,600 $88,400
Samuel Merritt University Non-profit $245,456,000 2,780 $88,100
Loma Linda University Non-profit $528,678,000 6,180 $85,600
University of California-Hastings College of Law Public $223,922,000 2,670 $83,800
Pacifica Graduate Institute For-profit $148,600,000 1,770 $83,800
Loyola Marymount University Non-profit $447,255,000 5,450 $82,100
Chapman University Non-profit $408,464,000 5,080 $80,300
California Institute of Integral Studies Non-profit $192,777,000 2,410 $80,100
University of Southern California Non-profit $2,829,189,000 35,830 $79,000
Alliant International University-San Diego For-profit $396,053,000 5,040 $78,500
The Wright Institute Non-profit $55,801,000 740 $75,600
Fielding Graduate University Non-profit $81,590,000 1,130 $72,000
John F. Kennedy University Non-profit $95,757,000 1,380 $69,100
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences For-profit $401,398,000 5,810 $69,000
New York Film Academy For-profit $34,630,000 510 $67,800
Marshall B Ketchum University Non-profit $49,058,000 730 $67,200
Pepperdine University Non-profit $623,055,000 9,350 $66,600
West Coast University-Los Angeles For-profit $67,178,000 1,050 $64,100
University of San Francisco Non-profit $398,078,000 6,350 $62,700
California Institute of the Arts Non-profit $61,305,000 1,000 $61,200
University of San Diego Non-profit $356,275,000 5,840 $61,000
University of California-Berkeley Public $321,216,000 5,260 $61,000
University of La Verne Non-profit $122,504,000 2,180 $56,100
Life Chiropractic College West Non-profit $65,701,000 1,200 $55,000
Stanford University Non-profit $119,632,000 2,190 $54,700
Mount Saint Mary’s University Non-profit $42,389,000 780 $54,200
University of California-Los Angeles Public $519,517,000 9,680 $53,700
Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science Non-profit $82,399,000 1,630 $50,500
University of California-Irvine Public $159,556,000 3,220 $49,600
University of California-San Francisco Public $134,746,000 2,730 $49,300
Pacific College of Health and Science For-profit $53,568,000 1,100 $48,600
California College of the Arts Non-profit $37,551,000 840 $44,900
Dominican University of California Non-profit $22,939,000 520 $44,500
University of California-Davis Public $170,363,000 3,850 $44,200
Academy of Art University For-profit $225,305,000 5,130 $43,900
Southern California University of Health Sciences Non-profit $54,429,000 1,310 $41,400
Fuller Theological Seminary Non-profit $37,919,000 950 $40,000
University of California-Santa Barbara Public $30,178,000 830 $36,500
Mills College Non-profit $32,719,000 920 $35,400
University of California-San Diego Public $68,236,000 1,990 $34,200
Saint Mary’s College of California Non-profit $32,742,000 990 $33,100
California Baptist University Non-profit $69,832,000 2,130 $32,800
Azusa Pacific University Non-profit $243,019,000 7,500 $32,400
California Lutheran University Non-profit $16,958,000 570 $29,900
Pacific Oaks College Non-profit $14,060,000 500 $27,800
University of California-Riverside Public $50,625,000 1,830 $27,600
Northcentral University Non-profit $227,499,000 8,460 $26,900
Brandman University Non-profit $107,302,000 4,050 $26,500
University of Redlands Non-profit $26,865,000 1,030 $26,000
Ashford University For-profit $36,036,000 1,710 $21,100
California State University-San Marcos Public $17,114,000 930 $18,500
California State University-Northridge Public $18,034,000 1,010 $17,900
San Diego State University Public $31,383,000 1,800 $17,400
California State University-Long Beach Public $10,096,000 610 $16,400
San Francisco State University Public $26,683,000 1,890 $14,100
San Jose State University Public $26,497,000 2,100 $12,600
National University Non-profit $130,947,000 10,970 $11,900

Table 4: Total debt

Top 100 California institutions by total outstanding loan balance
Institution name Control of institution Total outstanding debt
University of Southern California Non-profit $7,362,011,000
Ashford University For-profit $7,343,035,000
National University Non-profit $2,740,725,000
University of California-Los Angeles Public $2,679,982,000
Academy of Art University For-profit $1,950,123,000
Pepperdine University Non-profit $1,901,959,000
University of the Pacific Non-profit $1,880,446,000
California State University-Northridge Public $1,703,645,000
Loma Linda University Non-profit $1,680,780,000
San Diego State University Public $1,678,789,000
San Francisco State University Public $1,665,963,000
Azusa Pacific University Non-profit $1,659,782,000
University of California-Berkeley Public $1,610,725,000
Alliant International University-San Diego For-profit $1,605,193,000
Chapman University Non-profit $1,589,548,000
University of California-Davis Public $1,534,082,000
University of California-Irvine Public $1,505,062,000
University of San Francisco Non-profit $1,460,768,000
California State University-Sacramento Public $1,439,264,000
Loyola Marymount University Non-profit $1,422,127,000
California State University-Long Beach Public $1,413,343,000
University of La Verne Non-profit $1,369,905,000
California State University-Fullerton Public $1,262,686,000
University of San Diego Non-profit $1,257,027,000
California Baptist University Non-profit $1,233,632,000
California State University-San Bernardino Public $1,211,396,000
University of California-Riverside Public $1,178,156,000
University of California-San Diego Public $1,129,847,000
San Jose State University Public $1,112,765,000
University of California-Santa Barbara Public $1,040,125,000
California State University-Los Angeles Public $944,089,000
California State University-Fresno Public $903,141,000
Brandman University Non-profit $889,725,000
University of California-Santa Cruz Public $824,556,000
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Public $791,568,000
California State University-Dominguez Hills Public $788,559,000
California State University-East Bay Public $737,210,000
California State University-Chico Public $734,119,000
Santa Clara University Non-profit $700,320,000
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Public $697,132,000
Samuel Merritt University Non-profit $666,251,000
University of Redlands Non-profit $621,470,000
Southern California University of Health Sciences Non-profit $582,606,000
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Los Angeles For-profit $558,480,000
California State University-San Marcos Public $557,321,000
Whittier College Non-profit $538,538,000
Humboldt State University Public $502,392,000
John F. Kennedy University Non-profit $501,504,000
Mount Saint Mary’s University Non-profit $473,703,000
Sonoma State University Public $461,694,000
California State University-Bakersfield Public $457,630,000
Biola University Non-profit $451,712,000
Palo Alto University Non-profit $448,438,000
Point Loma Nazarene University Non-profit $443,415,000
Saint Mary’s College of California Non-profit $443,280,000
California Lutheran University Non-profit $424,152,000
California State University-Stanislaus Public $418,313,000
Concordia University-Irvine Non-profit $402,230,000
Fresno Pacific University Non-profit $401,028,000
Stanford University Non-profit $381,473,000
California Institute of the Arts Non-profit $306,070,000
La Sierra University Non-profit $286,591,000
California State University-Monterey Bay Public $284,417,000
Art Center College of Design Non-profit $267,319,000
Dominican University of California Non-profit $252,265,000
California State University-Channel Islands Public $248,845,000
University of California-Merced Public $244,659,000
Notre Dame de Namur University Non-profit $238,658,000
Vanguard University of Southern California Non-profit $232,167,000
Mills College Non-profit $221,747,000
Woodbury University Non-profit $221,604,000
California College of the Arts Non-profit $218,218,000
Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science Non-profit $217,138,000
Trident University International For-profit $209,470,000
Humphreys University-Stockton and Modesto Campuses Non-profit $187,905,000
Holy Names University Non-profit $175,883,000
Otis College of Art and Design Non-profit $147,248,000
New York Film Academy For-profit $141,536,000
Stanbridge University For-profit $131,041,000
Keck Graduate Institute Non-profit $128,299,000
Southern California Institute of Architecture Non-profit $127,419,000
Simpson University Non-profit $125,318,000
San Francisco Art Institute Non-profit $124,524,000
Newschool of Architecture and Design For-profit $117,801,000
William Jessup University Non-profit $101,497,000
Occidental College Non-profit $83,199,000
Marymount California University Non-profit $69,483,000
Laguna College of Art and Design Non-profit $65,419,000
San Francisco Conservatory of Music Non-profit $61,203,000
Los Angeles Pacific University Non-profit $58,394,000
Empire College For-profit $54,682,000
American University of Health Sciences For-profit $40,486,000
American Jewish University Non-profit $31,758,000
Westcliff University For-profit $19,853,000
John Paul the Great Catholic University Non-profit $18,246,000
University of the West Non-profit $9,142,000
Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences Non-profit NA
Avalon School of Cosmetology-Alameda For-profit NA
College of Alameda Public NA
Allan Hancock College Public NA

Data source and notes

Only 73 institutions have at least 500 borrowers with outstanding Grad PLUS debt. *** ### {-}

Table 5

Top 100 institutions based outside California, by estimated outstanding debt from online enrollment by California students
Institution name State Estimated students from California enrolled online Estimated outstanding debt from California students enrolled online
University of Phoenix-Arizona AZ 7,690 $3,033,074,000
Grand Canyon University AZ 18,310 $1,890,235,000
DeVry University-Illinois IL 1,800 $864,964,000
Walden University MN 3,200 $795,580,000
University of Maryland Global Campus MD 10,110 $540,717,000
Capella University MN 1,710 $370,081,000
Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ 4,430 $289,438,000
Southern New Hampshire University NH 5,800 $283,713,000
Western Governors University UT 7,660 $252,840,000
Liberty University VA 1,620 $174,306,000
American Public University System WV 4,230 $173,197,000
Purdue University Global IN 580 $147,685,000
Northern Arizona University AZ 1,200 $87,545,000
American InterContinental University AZ 210 $87,148,000
Full Sail University FL 500 $80,491,000
South University-Savannah GA 280 $71,531,000
Johns Hopkins University MD 1,130 $67,791,000
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach FL 1,320 $65,624,000
Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs CO 360 $63,223,000
Columbia Southern University AL 1,350 $58,300,000
George Washington University DC 470 $55,440,000
Gonzaga University WA 500 $54,062,000
Stevens-Henager College UT 470 $52,717,000
Concordia University-Portland OR 340 $52,316,000
Ultimate Medical Academy FL 630 $50,333,000
Post University CT 520 $49,028,000
Regis University CO 300 $47,738,000
Bellevue University NE 480 $47,277,000
University of Arizona AZ 670 $46,760,000
Oregon State University OR 870 $45,406,000
Strayer University-District of Columbia DC 220 $44,716,000
Nova Southeastern University FL 80 $43,456,000
Logan University MO 70 $43,064,000
Boise State University ID 800 $38,532,000
Columbia College MO 330 $37,310,000
New York University NY 240 $34,344,000
Brigham Young University-Idaho ID 2,510 $32,406,000
Boston University MA 340 $32,213,000
Georgetown University DC 200 $30,909,000
University of Denver CO 170 $30,328,000
Creighton University NE 120 $26,281,000
Prescott College AZ 120 $25,092,000
Ottawa University-Ottawa KS 140 $24,341,000
Northeastern University MA 390 $21,666,000
Regent University VA 140 $20,462,000
Harvard University MA 550 $20,439,000
Washington State University WA 320 $20,352,000
Excelsior College NY 2,200 $17,914,000
Simmons University MA 100 $16,890,000
Colorado Christian University CO 260 $16,523,000
Bryan University AZ 100 $15,542,000
Syracuse University NY 170 $15,223,000
Colorado State University-Fort Collins CO 250 $14,988,000
Portland State University OR 160 $13,921,000
Park University MO 260 $13,841,000
Charter College WA 110 $13,796,000
Wilmington University DE 170 $13,532,000
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA 190 $13,500,000
Berklee College of Music MA 170 $13,092,000
DePaul University IL 80 $12,607,000
Grambling State University LA 40 $12,543,000
Tulane University of Louisiana LA 80 $11,616,000
Webster University MO 40 $10,525,000
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL 210 $9,995,000
Columbia University in the City of New York NY 90 $9,665,000
Grantham University KS 180 $9,561,000
University of Nevada-Reno NV 230 $9,493,000
Maryville University of Saint Louis MO 100 $9,339,000
The University of Alabama AL 140 $9,253,000
University of New England ME 50 $9,244,000
Southern Oregon University OR 120 $9,115,000
University of Hawaii at Manoa HI 140 $8,819,000
MCPHS University MA 50 $8,801,000
Waldorf University IA 220 $8,532,000
NUC University PR 110 $8,379,000
Loyola University New Orleans LA 40 $8,355,000
Franklin University OH 40 $8,142,000
Fordham University NY 60 $7,814,000
National Paralegal College AZ 100 $7,645,000
Hawaii Pacific University HI 80 $7,540,000
Rasmussen University-Minnesota MN 60 $7,354,000
Southern Methodist University TX 80 $7,183,000
American University DC 50 $7,083,000
University of Colorado Boulder CO 150 $7,066,000
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale FL 40 $7,060,000
George Fox University OR 60 $6,933,000
Jackson State University MS 30 $6,874,000
Northwestern University IL 80 $6,708,000
Loyola University Chicago IL 50 $6,692,000
Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo NY 30 $6,513,000
University of Utah UT 120 $6,466,000
Concordia University-Chicago IL 80 $6,244,000
National American University-Rapid City SD 20 $6,146,000
University of Nevada-Las Vegas NV 90 $6,098,000
LeTourneau University TX 50 $6,082,000
Graceland University-Lamoni IA 50 $6,062,000
Upper Iowa University IA 50 $5,974,000
Duke University NC 80 $5,972,000
Purdue University-Main Campus IN 160 $5,948,000
Indiana University-Bloomington IN 100 $5,892,000

Data source and notes

Estimated enrollment is based on 2018 data. Estimated debt is based on data as of 2022. *** ### {-}

California public segments

Public segments of California higher education by outstanding federal student loan debt
Segment Outstanding Stafford debt Outstanding Parent PLUS debt Outstanding Grad PLUS debt Total debt
California Community Colleges $4,165,851,000 $38,537,000 $0 $4,204,388,000
California State University $18,561,803,000 $1,316,346,000 $191,927,000 $20,070,076,000
University of California $9,436,226,000 $1,700,179,000 $1,689,365,000 $12,825,770,000
All segments $32,163,879,000 $3,055,061,000 $1,881,292,000 $37,100,233,000

All California sectors

Sectors of California higher education by outstanding federal student loan debt
Sector Outstanding Stafford debt Outstanding Parent PLUS debt Outstanding Grad PLUS debt Total debt
For-profit $20,629,814,000 $1,621,262,000 $1,546,676,000 $23,797,752,000
Non-profit $36,862,451,000 $3,253,504,000 $13,778,933,000 $53,894,889,000
Public $32,217,284,000 $3,055,304,000 $1,881,292,000 $37,153,880,000
All sectors $89,709,549,000 $7,930,071,000 $17,206,902,000 $114,846,521,000

Data source and notes

Remaining Gaps